Description:
This perennial plant is ½–2' tall, branching occasionally. The
hairy stems are sprawling or erect. The alternate compound leaves are
trifoliate. The lower compound leaves have long hairy petioles, while
the upper leaves have short petioles or they are sessile. The leaflets
are up to 2" long and ¾" across. They are oval-ovate or slightly
obovate; sometimes they are a little broader below the middle. Their
margins are smooth and ciliate and their tips are blunt. Toward the
middle of the upper surface of each leaflet, there is usually a chevron
that is white or light green. The leaflets are sessile and lack
petioles of their own. At the base of each compound leaf, there is a
pair of ovate stipules up to ½" long. The upper stems terminate in
flowerheads that are spheroid or ovoid. Usually there are 1-3 leaflets
immediately beneath each flowerhead, as well as several green bracts
with tips that abruptly taper to a slender tip. Each flowerhead is
about 1" across and consists of numerous flowers. These flowers are
sessile, tubular-shaped, and spread outward in different directions.
Each flower has 5 narrow petals that are pink or purplish pink,
becoming light pink or white toward the base of the flowerhead; a rare
form of this species with white petals also exists. The upper petal is
slightly longer than the lower petals. The light green calyx of each
flower has 5 slender teeth and it is usually hairy.

The blooming
period usually occurs from late spring to mid-summer and lasts about
1-2 months. However, a few plants may bloom later in the summer or
fall. The flowers have a mild honey-like fragrance, while the foliage,
when it exists in abundance, produces a distinctive clover-like aroma
that is quite pleasant. Each flower is replaced by a small seedpod
containing 1 or 2 heart-shaped seeds. The root system consists of a
taproot and produces rhizomes. This plant can spread vegetatively or by
reseeding itself.

Cultivation:
The preference is full sun, mesic conditions, and a loam or clay-loam
soil. This plant adds nitrogen to the soil by forming root nodules that
accommodate rhizobial bacteria. Partial sun is tolerated.

Range & Habitat:
The non-native Red Clover is a common plant that occurs in every county
of Illinois (see Distribution
Map). It was introduced from Eurasia as a
fodder crop for farm animals and as a cover crop to improve
agricultural soil. Habitats include fields, pastures, weedy meadows,
vacant lots, grassy areas along roads, waste areas, and
degraded prairie remnants. This plant occurs in native
habitats occasionally, but it is only slightly to moderately
aggressive. It is often found in grassy areas that are not subjected to
regular mowing.

Faunal Associations:
The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract many kinds of long-tongued
bees, including bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, Mason bees, and large
Leaf-Cutting bees (Megachilini tribe). Butterflies, skippers, and
day-flying Sphinx moths also visit the flowers for nectar. Typical
visitors among the butterflies include Swallowtails, Monarchs, Painted
Ladies, Whites, and Sulfurs. The caterpillars of several butterflies
feed on the foliage, including Everes comyntas
(Eastern Tailed-Blue), Colias eurytheme (Orange
Sulfur), Colias philodice (Clouded Sulfur), and Colias
cesonia (Dog-Faced Sulfur). The caterpillars of many moth
species feed on the foliage of this and other Trifolium spp.
as well (see Moth
Table). Both the seedheads and foliage are eaten occasionally
by upland gamebirds, including the Ruffed Grouse, Greater Prairie
Chicken, Wild Turkey, and Ring-Necked Pheasant. Similarly, many small
mammals eat the seedheads and/or foliage, including the Cottontail
Rabbit, Groundhog, Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel, and Meadow Vole.
Among the hoofed browsers, the foliage of Red Clover is readily eaten
by deer, horses, cattle, and sheep. The value of Red Clover to wildlife
and domestic animals is high.

Comments:
Among the various Trifolium spp. (Clovers), Red
Clover is fairly easy to identify because of its large pink flowerheads
and the white chevrons on its leaflets. It is unusual among the clovers
in having sessile leaflets at the base of the flowerheads. There is
some variability in the hairiness of the foliage and the color of the
flowers. The common name is somewhat misleading because the flowers are
never a true red. On rare occasions, a compound leaf will produce 4 or
more leaflets.